The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987) [Documentary Review]

The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On; or, Divine Intervention
     You're not the only one being punished. I almost starved to death in New Guinea. My wife got injured in an accident. I killed someone I didn't want to kill. If a misfortune befalls you, it means you deserve it.
Kazuo Hara’s The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches from 1987 is one of the few documentaries that stood the test of time. I became aware of it a couple of years ago, but I was surprised to see it popping up on various recommendations lists as well as on YouTube. Needless to say, an interesting title and psychedelic poster were enough to get me interested. Having seen it, I can safely say that it is one of the best documentaries with an anti-war message out there.

Release Info

Directed by: Kazuo Hara Starring: Kenzo Okuzaki, Shizumi Okuzaki,Toshiya Nomura, Rinko Sakimoto

Language: Japanese Original Title: (ゆきゆきて、神軍 Runtime: 121 min

In contrast to many other pictures of that genre, we do not get an extensive exposition or narrative guidance. Thanks to short title cards, we are introduced to the main protagonist, Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old war veteran, former member of the 36th Battalion which took part in Japan’s campaign in New Guinea during the Second World War. Okuzaki who literally survived hell in New Guinea holds primarily one person responsible for the whole ordeal, Emperor Hirohito. It is explained later on in the picture that Okuzaki has served 13 years in prison for killing a real estate broker (this charge is not entirely explained), spreading leaflets offending the Emperor, and sling-shooting four pachinko balls at the Emperor.

However, Okuzaki’s hate for the Emperor is not the main topic of the documentary. The veteran is on a personal quest to find out the truth behind the mysterious deaths of three soldiers from his battalion. Were they killed under false pretences? Did they commit desertion? Why were they executed 23 days after the war ended? Accompanied by relatives of the victims and his own wife, Okuzaki relentlessly tracks down former members of the battalion and confronts them about the killings in front of a camera. Some tell the truth, others obviously lie, but a few speak so chaotically that they indirectly confirm the relatives’ theory; that is, the men in question were executed in order to be eaten by fellow soldiers.

The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On tackles the taboo topic of cannibalism during World War II. The Japanese garrisons had very limited resources towards the end of the conflict, so they resorted to either stealing food or killing “white pigs” (Allied soldiers) and “black pigs” (the natives). If that did not work, they killed their own men.

Kenzo Okuzaki may appear to be a frantic man who is unable to control his temper (at times, he physically attacks ex-soldiers to get the truth out of them), but he clearly states his intention. He wants the viewers to hear the whole story so that no war would ever break out in the future. The ultimate antagonist of the documentary appears to be Captain Koshimizu who, as other soldiers confessed, personally killed the privates. The captain, however, calmly denies doing such a thing. The title card at the end of the documentary reveals that in 1985 Okuzaki tried to kill Koshimizu for his crimes, but he somehow shot the captain’s son instead (who allegedly survived). Okuzaki was arrested and sentenced to 12 years of hard labour. There is not much information on the internet about him, apart from a note stating that he passed away in 2005.

Kazuo Hara’s documentary undeniably shows that cultural depictions of the Japanese participation in the Second World War are only the tip of the iceberg. There are to date many issues left unsaid and unresolved. The passage of time only makes things worse. Kenzo Okuzaki states during one of the confrontations that if a person leads an immoral life, he or she will eventually receive divine punishment. Perhaps there is some truth in words of an individual who dared to oppose the Emperor himself.

Recommendations
I highly recommend The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On to anyone. Even if you are not interested in history and World War II, you have to see the rare and unscripted testimonies of people who looked into the abyss of darkness. Indeed, this is one of the best documentaries ever made.
Overall score: 9/10

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